DEBATES ON PHA11MACY BILL. 
57 
tlemen were then appointed a provisional committee, to complete the arrangements and 
ascertain bow many members there were likely to be :—Messrs. E. I. J. Browell, H. B. 
Brady, John Pattinson, R. C. Clapham, J. W. Swan, W. H. Richardson, Dr. Lunge, Mr. 
B. S. Proctor, and Mr. A. F. Marecco—the last-named gentleman to act as secretary pro 
tem. A vote of thanks to Sir William Armstrong for presiding brought the proceedings 
to a close .—Northern Daily Express , June 30, 1868. 
DEBATES IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON THE BILL TO REGULATE 
THE SALE OF POISONS, AND ALTER AND AMEND THE PHARMACY 
ACT OF 1852. 
Tuesday, July 7th, 1868. 
On the question that the Speaker do leave the chair, 
Mr. Lowe said : Sir,—I wish to call the attention of the Government to a Bill which 
is passing through this House, called the Sale of Poisons and Pharmacy Bill, and to ask 
the Government whether any security will be given to the House and the country 
against the Bill being passed through Committee improperly or hurriedly. It is a mea¬ 
sure of very great importance, and I hope the Government will give some facilities for 
discussing its principle. The noble lord the Vice-President of the Committee of 
Council, gave notice that he would move that the Bill should be referred to a Select 
Committee, but that notice has, I am sorry to see, been withdrawn and some amend¬ 
ments have been put on the notice paper in substitution, but they do not seem to touch 
the main question, which is, whether powers of licensing persons to sell dangerous drugs 
shall be entrusted to persons who are in truth a mere voluntary association. I hope 
the Government will take care that an opportunity be given for discussing the principle 
of the Bill, and that the Bill be not allowed to pass through Committee between two 
and three in the morning without discussion. The Government ought to obtain some 
security from this voluntary association that the provisions of the Bill will be properly 
carried into effect. 
Mr. Headlam : My right honourable friend has brought this matter before the House 
without any sort of notice to me, which I think is open to objection. 
The Speaker intimated to the right honourable Member for Newcastle that He had 
already spoken upon the question, and that he was consequently out of order in speaking 
again. 
Lord R. Montagu : It is quite true that I gave notice of a motion to refer this Bill 
to a Select Committee, but after a conference with the right honourable gentleman the 
Member for Newcastle, who has charge of the Bill, and with the President of the 
Pharmaceutical Society, the promoters of the Bill, and having regard to the fact that 
the Bill was introduced in the other House by Earl Granville, and that the provisions of 
it were sanctioned by the members of the Government in that House, I have thought it 
expedient to withdraw my own notice of motion; and I now propose to introduce cer¬ 
tain amendments in Committee of the whole House, so that the Bill may, if possible, 
be passed in the present Session. The Bill is not under my charge, and I cannot there¬ 
fore give any undertaking as to the hour at which it ought to be proceeded with. 
Friday, July 10th, 1868. 
Mr. Headlam : Sir,— I now move that you do leave the chair, and that we go into 
Committee on this Bill. 
The question being put, 
Mr. Low t e said: I shall be very glad to go into a discussion upon this Bill and its 
principle if the House will attend to what may be said, and I can assure honourable 
Members present that a great deal will have to be said if they will attend to it; but I 
would tell my right honourable friend who has charge of the measure, that it will 
hardly be possible to pass it through Parliament this Session, for it is a measure of very 
great importance to the country, and particularly to those who vend poisons. However, 
if the Bill is to be proceeded with, it ought not to go on now at half-past one in the 
morning, but a time ought to be fixed when the House can do full justice to all parties 
concerned in the provisions of the Bill. 
Mr. Headlam : If my right honourable friend will take the responsibility of rejecting 
